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PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


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Division  DTfco 
Section  \ ft54 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/ancientegyptOOunse 


Pyramids  of  Memphis, 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


7<^ 


ILLUSTKA  TED. 


NEW  Y(3RK  : 

DODD,  MEAD  & COMPANY, 

P U 15  I,  T S IT  K U S . 


CorvmcMT, 

By  DOru  mead  & COMPANY 
1879. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


I.  The  Pyramids Frontispiec* 

3.  Lotus  Flower page  9 

3.  Making  Bricks I 

4.  Making  Bricks IS 

5.  Ancient  Egyptian  Boat 14 

6.  Drawing  Water  from  the  Nile 16 

7.  Watering  the  Fields 17 

8.  Modem  Nile  Boat 19 

9.  Ark  and  Priests  of  Nilus 22 

10.  Egyptian  Water  Wheel 26 

11.  Egyptian  Locust 27 

12.  Banners  of  the  Eg)rptians 31 

13.  Fishing  in  a Canal 33 

14.  Egyptian  Field }4 

15.  Fruit  Basket 35 


6 LIST  OF  1LI..USTRAT10NS. 

PAGB 

i6.  Wine  Jar 35 

•7-  Egyptian  Cup 35 

18.  Dining  Chair 36 

19.  Chair 37 

20.  Mirror ....  38 

21.  Carved  Box 39 

22.  Basin  and  Pitcher 40 

23.  Stone  Polisher 41 

24.  Toy  Crocodile 42 

25.  Modern  Slave  Boat  on  the  Nile 50 

26.  Egyptian  High  Priest 51 

27.  Looking  South  from  Philae 55 

28.  Day  of  Judgment 58 

29.  Ruins  at  Philre 59 

30.  The  Sacred  Bull. . . 63 

31.  R esurrection  of  the  Body 68 

32.  Priest  preparing  Mummy  for  Burial 69 

33.  Egyptian  Jars 70 

34.  Mummy  Case 72 

35.  Ancient  Rock-cut  Tomb 73 

36.  Interior  of  Rock-cut  Tomb 77 

37.  Pyramids  of  Memphis 8l 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  7 

PA  OB 

3S.  Court  of  an  Egyptian  Temple 88 

39.  Ruins  at  Karnak go 

40.  The  Sphinx 91 

41.  Tuxor  from  the  River 95 

42.  A Sphinx 100 

43.  Ruined  Avenue  of  Sphinxes loi 

44.  Ancient  Temple 103 

45.  Ramessids  at  Luxor 105 

46.  The  Colossi lOg 

47.  Ruins  of  Temple  of  Rameses 113 

(8.  Statue  of  Osymandva'' II7 


- 4 


I n 


r j 


ANCIENT  EGYPT 


CHAPTER  I. 


JF  we  look  on 
tlie  map  of  Af- 
rica we  shall 
find  in  the  very 
northeastern 
part,  a country 
that  is  set  down 
as  Egypt.  A 
long  and  narrow 
country  it  is, 
and  throughout 
Lotus  flower.  its  whole  length 

flows  a great  river,  while  the  fertile  fields 


lo 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


on  its  banks  lie  like  a long  and  narrow 
green  ribbon,  through  the  vast  deserts  that 
surround  it  on  every  side.  Such  in  reality  is 
the  habitable  country  of  Egypt : — a belt  of 
fertile  land  lying  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
and  made  fertile  by  the  overflow  of  its  waters. 

And  yet  this  country  so  apparently  insig- 
nificant in  size  was  the  home  of  a great  and 
mighty  nation  far  back  in  the  very  beginning 
of  history.  When  we  read  in  the  book  of 
Genesis  of  the  times  of  Abraham,  that  great 
shepherd,  and  of  his  vast  flocks  and  herds,  and 
how  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  to  his  tent 
to  bring  to  him  the  promise  that  he  should 
be  the  father  of  a great  nation,  we  seem  to 
be  reading  of  the  very  earliest  days  of  the 
woild.  And  yet  when  Abraham  went  down 
to  Egypt  tc  find  pasturage  for  his  cattle,  he 
found  a people  who  had  lived  there  for  cen- 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


II 


turies,  ruled  over  by  kings,  the  builders  of 
great  palaces  and  massive  temples  to  the 
strange  gods  whom  they  worshipped. 

Fortunately  we  have  preserved  to  u« 
many  of  the  records  of  these  early  ages. 


How,  you  ask,  can  that  be?  How  could 
these  records  have  been  preserved  for  four 
thousand  years,  and  on  what  could  they 
have  been  written  before  the  invention  of 
parchment  and  pen.  The  parchment  was 
the  hard  granite  rock,  and  the  pen  the 


12 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


workman’s  chise.,  and  from  this  it  has  hap- 
pened that  these  records  have  been  preserved, 
while  those  of  nations  centuries  later  have 
utterly  disappeared. 

Of  course  they  were  not  in  writing,  for 
it  was  many  hundreds  of  years  after  this 


Making  Bricks;  from  Ancient  Egyptian  Monument. 


that  the  alphabet  was  discovered.  They  are 
written  in  a language  that  all  can  read — in 
pictures,  such  as  the  two,  representing  brick- 
making, here  given. 

How  was  it  that  Egypt  came  thus  earl> 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


*3 


to  be  so  mighty  an  empire  ? It  was  largely 
owing  to  the  position  of  the  country.  In  the 
early  days,  the  art  of  navigation  was  almost 
unknown.  Ships  were  of  the  frailest  charac- 
ter, and  in  them  the  timid  sailor  dared  not 
venture  out  of  sight  of  land.  But  the  whole 
country  of  Egypt  was  traversed  by  a mighty 
river,  down  whose  broad  and  placid  current 
could  float  in  safety  the  rudest  vessels,  bear- 
ing the  grain  and  fruits  of  one  section  to 
another — bringing  down  the  huge  building 
stones  for  the  temples  and  pyramids,  or  carry- 
ing the  gold  from  far  Ethiopia  to  Thebes,  the 
great  and  mighty  capital. 

For  nine  months  out  of  the  twelve  a 
strong  wind  blows  southward  through  the 
Nile  valley,  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  and  sc 
the  early  navigators  returning  up  the  stream, 
down  which  they  had  floated,  could  hoist 


M 


ANCIEMl  EGYPT. 


the  sails  and  make  good  progress  during  the 
day,  ancl’.oring  at  night,  when  the  wind  died 


td 


away.  In  this  way,  intercourse  was  held 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


•s 


between  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  as  a 
natural  result,  the  arts  of  peace  flourished. 
The  husbandman  was  far  more  intent  in 
gathering  a rich  and  certain  harvest  from  the 
fertile  soil,  than  in  going  abroad  to  seek  the 
uncertain  booty  of  war ; and  laws  and  govern- 
ment speedily  followed. 

The  valley  of  the  Nile  is,  as  we  have  said, 
the  only  habitable  part  of  Egypt,  for  this  is 
the  only  part  that  is  ever  watered.  In  this 
country  rain  never  falls; — the  river  only  is  the 
source  of  all  life,  and  where  its  waters  cannot 
reach,  are  only  desert  sands.  About  the 
middle  of  June,  the  waters  of  the  Nile  begin 
to  rise,  and  continue  rising  till  they  reach 
the  height  of  about  twenty  feet.  The  whole 
valley  during  the  months  of  August,  Septem- 
ber, and  October,  is  under  water,  while  the 
villages,  built  on  raised  mounds,  rise  above 


i6 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


the  flood,  like  islands  in  a vast  lake.  The 
people  watch  with  eagerness  for  the  coming 
of  the  waters,  and  its  first  appearance  is 


hailed  with  the  firing  of  guns,  and  the  shouts 
of  the  crowd  who  line  the  river  banks. 

The  thrifty  husbandman  has  dug  canals, 
in  order  that  the  life-giving  water  may  reach 


AVatcring  the  fields.  Copy  of  an  old  painting. 


VNCIENT  EGYPT. 


»7 


And  moisten  the  dry  sands,  that  would  other- 
wise go  untilled,  and,  with  the  help  of  rude 


machinery,  draws  the  water  from  the  Nile 
and  pours  it  on  the  thirsty  soil.  , 


i8 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


The  rise  of  the  river  each  j-ear  varies  but 
a few  inches,  and  the  eagerness  with  which  it  is 
watched  may  be  imagined  when  we  know  that 
should  it  fall  short  but  a few  feet  of  its  usual 
height;  famine  must  be  the  result. 

For  these  three  months  Egypt  is  a vast 
lake ; the  boats  no  longer  keep  to  the  channel 
of  the  stream,  but  sail  boldly  across  the  waters, 
coasting  perhaps  beside  the  pyramids,  or 
the  mighty  colossi  which,  rising  out  of  the 
waves,  tower  far  above  the  boatmen’s  heads. 

In  November  the  fields  are  again  bare,  but 
covered  thickly  with  a rich  mud,  in  which  the 
husbandman  has  but  to  sow  his  seed.  No 
weary  ploughing  is  needed,  no  enriching  the 
wasted  soil — the  river  has  done  all  this  for  him, 
and  he  has  but  to  reap  the  fruit  of  its  labor. 
Two  crops  are  sown  and  gathered  before  the 
sun  has  parched  the  ground  so  thoroughly 


Nile  Baits. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


31 


moistened  by  the  overflow.  All  through  our 
winter,  the  fields  of  Egypt  are  green  with  the 
growing  crops,  or  golden  with  the  harvest ; but 
when  with  us  the  spring  has  come  and  our 
fields  grow  green,  those  of  Egypt  are  parched 
and  waste,  till  again  the  rushing  waters  shall 
fertilize  them  anew.  The  old  Greek  historian 
Herodotus  tells  of  the  amazement  of  the 
Egyptian  priests,  when  they  learned  that  all 
Greece  was  watered  by  rain  from  heaven,  and 
not,  as  their  own  country,  inundated  by  rivers. 
“ Some  day,”  they  said,  “ the  Greeks  will  be 
disappointed  of  their  grand  hope,  and  then 
they  will  be  wretchedly  hungry,”  evidently 
thinking  that  any  people  that  depended  on 
rain  alone  to  moisten  the  soil,  depended  on  a 
very  frail  hope  indeed. 

We  now  know  that  the  yearly  rise  of  the 
river  is  caused  by  the  rains  in  Abysiliia, 


aa 


ancient  EGYPT. 


which,  pouring  down  the  mountain  sides,  swell 
the  mighty  flood  that  rushes  onward  till  it 
reaches  the  IMediterranean  ; but  to  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  who  did  not  know  this,  the  yearly 
coming  of  the  flood  was  miraculous  indeed. 


Should  it  fail  for  a single  \-ear,  the  green  fields 
would  become  deserts,  and  the  naticn  must 
perish  with  famine.  It  was  the  source  of 
food — of  life,  and  the  mystery  which  shrouded 
its  coming  only  increased  their  wonder  and 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


*3 


awe.  To  them  it  appeared  a god,  and  they 
worshipped  it  as  such.  Priests  were  appointed, 
who  presided  over  the  sacrifices  offered  it, 
and  in  every  way  it  was  treated  with  the  ut- 
most reverence. 

The  Nile  Valley,  which  was  thus  made  fer- 
tile by  the  overflow  of  the  river,  is  indeed  a 
narrow  strip  of  land.  In  its  widest  part,  ex- 
cept at  the  delta  where  it  discharges  into 
the  Mediterranean,  it  is  only  ten  and  three- 
quarter  miles  in  width,  while  the  average 
breadth  of  the  cultivated  land  is  only  a little 
over  four  miles. 

Yet  this  narrow  belt  supported  a vast 
population.  Herodotus  declares  that,  in  his 
day,  there  were  twenty  thousand  cities,  while 
the  total  number  of  inhabitants  was  seven 
millions.  How  all  these  people  lived  we  shall 
see  as  we  go  on 


HOME  LIFE  OF  THE  EGYPTlANf 


'1 


Egyptian  Water  Wheel. 


CHAPTER  U 


T 


HE  Egyptian 
li  o u 5 e was 

thoroughly  adapted 
to  the  climate.  In 

a country  wherein 
rain  never  falls,  and 

Esj-ptian  Locust.  dampness  is 

unknown,  we  can  easily  imagine  that  the  low- 

er classes  would  live  almost  entirely  out  of 
doors.  And  so  we  find  that  their  houses 
were  simply  enclosures,  of  which  only  a part 
was  covered  over,  while  the  space  thus  en- 
closed was  used  almost  entirely  for  a granary 
or  store-room.  The  roof  was  finished  off 
flat,  and  on  it  the  family  always  slept  at  night. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


s8 

Of  course  such  simple  houses  as  these 
could  only  be  occupied  by  the  very  poor.  In 
the  towns  they  were  built  of  rough  brick 
were  several  stories  in  height,  and  joined  to- 
gether as  in  cities  in  our  own  day.  Over  the 
doorway  was  generally  some  inscription,  such 
as  “ The  Good  House,”  or  some  symbol  of  good 
omen.  The  door  was  often  of  rare  wood,  or 
stained  to  imitate  rare  wood,  while  the  ex- 
terior was  stuccoed,  and  painted  in  the  many 
bright  colors  in  which  the  Egyptian  delighted. 

The  house-top,  as  in  all  Eastern  countries, 
was  a favorite  place  of  resort,  and  here  the 
women  doubtless  held  long  gossips  with  one 
another.  At  least  this  was  the  case,  if  we 
may  believe  a story  which  the  modern  Egyp- 
tian tells,  and  which  he  claims  has  come  down 
from  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs.  It  is  as  follows;. 

“ A man  digging  in  bis  vineyard,  having 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


29 


found  a jar  full  of  gold,  ran  home  with  joy 
to  announce  his  good  fortune  to  his  wife ; 
but,  as  he  reflected  on  the  way  that  women 
could  not  be  always  trusted  with  secrets,  and 
that  he  might  lose  a treasure  which  of  right 
belonged  to  the  king,  he  thought  it  better 
to  test  her  discretion.  As  soon,  therefore,  as 
ht  had  entered  the  house,  he  called  her  to 
him,  and  saying  that  he  had  something  of 
great  importance  to  tell  her,  asked  if  she  was 
sure  she  could  keep  a secret.  ‘Oh  yes,’  was 
the  ready  answer,  ‘ when  did  you  ever  know 
m\e  betray  one?  What  is  it?’  ‘ Well  then — 
but  you  are  sure  you  won’t  mention  it?’ 
* Have  I not  told  you  so — why  be  so  tiresome 
— what  is  it?’  ‘Now,  as  you  promise  me,  I 
v'ill  tell  you.  A most  singular  thing  happens 
:o  me.  Every  morning  I lay  an  egg,’  at  the 
uime  time  producing  one  from  bene-ath  his 


3° 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


cloak  ‘What!  an  egg!  ExtraordinTf}’, 

‘ Yes,  it  is  indeed,  but  mind  you  don’t  mention 
it.’  ‘Oh!  no  ; I shall  say  nothing  about  it,  I 
promise  you.’  ‘ No!  I feel  sure  you  won’t  : ’ 
and  so  saying  he  left  the  house.  No  sooner 
gone,  than  his  wife  ran  up  to  the  terrace,  and 
finding  a neighbor  on  the  adjoining  roof,  she 
beckoned  to  her,  and  with  great  caution 
said,  ‘Oh!  my  sister,  such  a curious  thing 
happens  to  my  husband,  but  you  are  sure 
you  won’t  tell  anybody.’  ‘ No  ! no  ' what  is 
it  ? do  tell  me.’  ‘ Ev^cry  morning  he  lays  ten 
eggs.’  ‘ What  ! ten  eggs ! ’ ‘ Yes,  and  he 

has  shown  them  to  me,  is  it  not  strange  ? but 
mind  you  say  nothing  about  it ; ’ and  away 
she  went  down  stairs.  It  was  not  long  before 
another  woman  came  up  on  the  next  terrace, 
and  the  story  was  told  in  the  same  way,  by 
the  wife’s  friend,  with  a similar  promise  of 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


3* 


secrecy,  only  with  the  variation  of  twenty  in- 
stead of  ten  eggs, till  one  neighbor  after  an- 
other to  whom  the  the  story  was  intrusted, 
had  increased  them  to  a hundred.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  husband  heard  it  also,  and  the 
supposed  egg-layer,  learning  how  his  story 


‘H  j 

1 XI 

1 

Banners  of  the  Egyptians. 


had  spread,  was  persuaded  not  to  risk  ids 
treasure,  by  trusting  his  wife  with  the  real 
secret.” 

The  homes  of  the  rich  were  very  varied  in 
shape,  but  were  in  almost  every  case  built 


32 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


around  a central  and  open  court,  and  upheld 
by  columns,  through  which  the  breezes  found 
free  passage.  In  the  court  were  often  foun- 
tains, while  the  pavement  was  kept  from  be- 
ing overheated,  by  being  continually  sprinkled 
with  water.  The  chief  entrance,  or  hallway, 
through  which  the  visitor  entered,  was  fre- 
quently hung  with  gayly  colored  banners. 

In  the  country,  where  the  villas  could 
spread  over  more  space,  the  grounds  were 
often  of  great  size,  including  orchards  and 
vineyards,  large  canals  and  ponds,  which 
were  supplied  with  water  from  the  river,  and 
stocked  with  fish,  offering  not  only  a place 
for  boating,  but  a fine  fishing  ground  when- 
ever the  master  felt  ii. dined  for  sport. 

Granaries,  too,  were  enclosed,  and  the  yards 
in  which  were  kept  the  cattle,  while  beyond 
all,  lay  the  fields  with  the  toiling  laborers. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


33 


Flowers  were  everywhere  raised  in  the 
greatest  quantities,  the  Egyptians  even  going 
so  far  as  to  exact  them  in  tribute  from  con- 
piered  nations.  Vast  beds  were  spread  out 


FishiDg  in  one  of  the  Canals.  Old  Painting. 

in  every  direction,  and  the  servants  continu- 
ally replaced  within  doors  those  that  were 
withered,  with  fresh  ones  from  the  garden. 
The  lotus  was  especially  a favorite,  and  aj>- 


J4 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


peais  in  thousands  of  sculptures  on  the  sacred 
buildings  and  tombs. 

We  can  easily  see  that  a people  who  had 
become  so  passionately 
fond  of  flowers,  could 
not  have  been  a warlike 
and  barbarous  race,  the 
first  conquerors  of  the  soil, 
but  must  have  passed 
through  years  of  civiliza- 
tion. Consequently  we 
expect  to  find  in  their 
houses  many  indications 
of  refinement.  Nor  are  we 
disappointed. 

Both  the  sculptures 
and  the  accounts  of  the 
earliest  travellers  assure  us  that  the  rick 
lived  in  a condition  of  luxury  unknown  at 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


3S 


the  present  day.  The  newly  arrived  gu  ist 
was  met  by  slaves,  who,  removing  his  dujty 
sandals,  presented  him  water  in  golden 


bowls,  to  bathe  his  feet.  When  ushered 
into  the  apartment  to  which  he  had  per 


haps  been  invited  to  dine,  a bouquet  of 
flowers  was  given  him,  while  a necklace  of 


36 


ANCIENT  EOYPT. 


flowers  was  hung  about  his  neck.  Wine  was 
handed  him  in  golden  cups,  and  while  the 
guests  waited  for  dinner,  they  were  enter- 
tained with  music  performed  by  hired  mu- 
sicians. 

The  room  was  furnished  with  carpets,  and 


A*  dining  chair  of  Egypt. 


some  of  the  chairs  and  other  articles  of  furni- 
ture were  made  in  the  richest  way,  while 
others,  of  course,  such  as  here  illustrated,  were 
of  the  simplest  form.  One  of  our  illustrations, 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


37 


as  will  be  seen,  shows  a chair  that  is  very 
similar  to  the  camp  chair  of  daily  use  to-day 
Vases  stood  about,  filled  with  flowers; — oi; 
all  sides  were  flowers ; while  their  pleasant 
perfumes  filled  the  air. 


At  the  close  of  the  meal,  a singular  custom 
was  observed.  A figure  of  the  god  Osiris, 
carved  in  the  shape  of  a mummy,  some 


38 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


twelve  inches  in  height,  was  passed  from 
guest  to  guest,  to  remind  them  that  however 
proper  it  might  be  to  enjoy  the  good  things 
of  this  world,  there  was  yet  a hereafter,  for 
which  each  must  be  prepared.  The  thought 
of  death  was  not  an  unpleasant  one  to  them, 


and  they  were  so  little  moved  by  it,  as  to 
frequently  place  the  mummy  of  a departed 
relative  at  the  table  among  the  guests. 

If  we  were  familiar  enough  with  the  family 
to  pass  into  the  inner  rooms,  we  should  see 
many  indications  of  taste  Here,  lying  upon 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


39 


the  lady’s  dressing  table,  is  a mirror  whose 
handle  is  carved  into  the  image  of  some  god  ; 
lying  next  it  we  find  an 
inlaid  box,  perhaps  used 
for  holding  her  jewelry 
or  other  article  of  the 
toilet,  while  the  golden 
bowl  and  pitcher  seem 
to  vary  but  little  in  shape 
from  those  made  of  more 
common  material  which 
are  in  use  at  the  pres- 
ent day. 

In  all  the  pictures 
we  have  of  family  life  Wi  | 
among  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians,  the  women  are  always  present,  aivJ 
always  on  perfect  equality  with  the  men. 
How  sure  a proof  this  of  civilization,  only 


4° 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


one  who  has  travelled  in  Eastern  lands 
and  has  seen  the  low  estimation  in  which 
women  are  held,  can 
really  feel.  The  Arab 
of  to-day,  w h e n by 
chance  he  mentions  the 
name  of  his  wife,  fob 
lows  it  with  the  expres- 
sion, “ajellak  Allah,’ 
“ may.God  elevate  you” 
above  the  contamina- 
\ ^ tion  of  such  a subject' 

precisely  the  words  he 
would  say,  if  by  chance  he  should  speak  the 
name  of  a dog  or  any  unclean  thing. 

The  Egyptians  had  many  games  which 
have  de.scended  to  us : — for  instance  one  now 
very  common  in  Italy,  called  moira,  was  well 
known  to  them.  In  this  one  person  suddenly 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


4‘ 

throws  forward  several  fingers  of  each  hand 
while  his  opponent  is  obliged  to  guess  in- 
stantly the  number  which  they  together  make. 
Chess,  too,  seems  to  have  been  a very  common 
amusement,  while  they  had  also  a,  game  in 


which  two  persons,  each  equipped  with  a stick 
terminating  in  a hook,  tried  by  skilful  move- 
ments to  catch  away  from  the  other  a small 
hoop.  The  game  of  ball  was  also  a favorite, 
and  seems  to  have  been  often  played  by 
ladies,  while  they  were  accomplished  in  the 


4a 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


art  of  keeping  in  the  air  at  the  same  time 
three,  four,  or  even  more  balls.  Nor  were 
the  children  forgotten.  Here  are  representa- 
tions of  two  mechanical  toys  which,  doubtless, 
amused  the  little  ones  of  long  ago,  as  much 
as  the  more  elaborate  ones  their  successors 
enjoy.  The  mouth  of  the  crocodile  works 


with  a string,  and  shuts  with  a snap  when 
this  is  pulled. 

When  more  active  amusement  was  needed, 
the  Egyptian  found  it  in  hunting  and  fishing. 
The  edges  of  the  desert  bordering  on  the  fer 
tile  valley  of  the  Nile,  abounded  in  game 
Gazelles  and  the  wild  ox  were  sometimes 
hunted  down  with  dogs,  or  barbacans  were 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


43 


formed,  into  which  bodies  of  men  drove  the 
game  for  miles  around.  Lions,  too,  were  fierce 
and  numerous,  if  we  may  believe  a statement 
of  Amunoph  III.,  in  which  he  boasts  that  in 
a single  day  he  killed  one  hundred  and  two. 
The  Egyptian  not  only  hunted  the  lion,  but 
he  tamed  the  young  cubs  and  taught  them  to 
hunt  for  him,  just  as  now  in  India  the  cubs 
of  the  leopard  are  trained  to  a similar  service. 
The  hyena,  the  pest  of  the  shepherd,  was  also 
hunted,  and  traps  were  set  for  it,  in  which  it 
had  often  the  misfortune  to  fall,  when  it  was 
brought  muzzled  into  the  village,  amid  the 
rejoicings  of  the  farmers.  Probably,  however, 
the  sport  that  afforded  the  most  satisfaction, 
as  well  for  the  difficulty  of  its  pursuit  as  the 
value  of  its  prize,  was  the  chase  of  the  ostrich. 
Its  feathers  were  emblematic  of  truth,  and  the 
highest  officials,  on  occasions  of  state,  were 


44 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


accustomed  to  adorn  themselves  with  them 
and  so  highly  were  they  valued,  that  thej 
were  exacted  as  tribute  from  conquered  na- 
tions. In  addition  to  all  this,  the  Nile  banks 
were  the  homes  of  thousands  of  birds,  whose 
pursuit  afforded  many  houis  of  sport  to  the 
enthusiastic  hunter. 

The  food  of  the  richer  classes  was  beef, 
game,  and  fish  from  the  river,  but  a country 
so  small  as  Egypt,  and  so  densely  populated, 
could  of  course  afford  animal  food  for  the 
rich  only.  The  lower  classes  lived  almost 
entirely  on  vegetables,  which  the  Nile  Valley 
produced  in  the  greatest  abundance.  The 
Israelites,  when  they  had  made  their  escape 
from  bondage,  and  were  marching  through 
the  desert,  looked  back  longingly  to  the 
onions,  the  leeks,  and  the  garlic  they  had  left 
behind  them. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


45 


The  occupations  of  the  Egyptians  were 
many.  The  nobility  seem  to  have  chosen 
either  the  army  or  the  priesthood  ; but  when 
we  come  to  the  common  people,  there  were 
many  pursuits  followed.  A curious  law,  it  is 
said,  compelled  every  one  to  follow  the  occu 
pation  of  his  father  ; but  though  this  was  not 
perhaps  strictly  true,  it  was  true  that  after  a 
man  had  chosen  his  trade,  he  was  not  allowed 
to  change  it. 

As  might  be  expected  in  a country  so 
situated  as  Egypt,  the  occupation  of  husband- 
man was  one  of  no  mean  character.  We 
have  already  shown  how  the  Nile  fertilized 
the  land,  and  how  he  had  but  to  sow  the  seed 
in  the  waiting  soil.  Wheat  and  barley  were 
largely  grown,  and  the  grain  was  threshed  by 
oxen  trampling  on  it,  or  dragging  over  it  a 
rude  instrument.  On  one  of  the  sculptures 


46 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


we  have  such  a scene  represented,  while  ovei 
it  is  written  the  song  of  the  men  to  the 
laboring  animals  : 


“ Thresh  for  yourselves,  O oxen  ! 

Thresh  for  yourselves ; 

Thresh  for  yourselves,  O oxen  ! 

Thresh  for  yourselves. 

Measures  for  yourselves. 

Measures  for  your  masters ; 

Measures  for  yourselves. 

Measures  for  your  masters." 

Shepherds,  however,  were  looked  upon  by 
the  Egyptians  as  following  the  most  degraded 
occupation  of  all.  Joseph  tells  his  brethren, 
when  they  are  about  to  appear  before  Pha- 
raoh, to,  by  no  means,  state  plainly  their  calling, 
“ for  every  shepherd  is  an  abomination  to  the 
Egyptians.” 

We  are  surprised  to  find  that  many  things 
which  we  have  been  accustomed  to  think 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


47 


modern  inventions  were  well  known  to  the 
Egyptiai  s.  Thus  glass-making  was  known 
to  them  four  thousand  years  ago,  and  they 
reached  a skill  in  its  manufacture  that  is 
totally  unknown  at  the  present  day.  Wilkin- 
son speaks  of  a mosaic  of  glass,  in  which  the 
fineness  of  the  design  was  such,  that  some 
parts,  such  as  the  feathers  of  birds,  could  only 
be  satisfactorily  studied  under  a magnifying 
glass.  They  succeeded,  too,  in  imitating  pre- 
cious stones,  and  though  we  can  hardly  think 
this  a very  noble  use  of  their  skill,  it  yet 
shows  to  what  extent  civilization  had  gone  in 
those  early  days,  since  it  is  not  till  the  arts  of 
peace  are  well-established,  that  the  desire  for 
articles  of  personal  adornment  comes.  The 
k oms  of  Egypt  were  widely  known,  and  their 
linen  was  largely  exported,  i^t  home,  too, 
laige  quantities  must  have  been  used,  for 


48 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


linen  formed  the  dress  of  the  Egyptian  living 
and  in  it  his  body  was  wrapped  for  burial 
Workers  in  leather  are  shown  on  the  sculp 
tures,  fullers  too,  and  potters,  while  the  lux- 
urious furniture  of  the  houses  of  the  rich,  of 
which  we  have  spoken,  gave  occupation  to 
the  carpenter  and  upholsterer.  The  Egyp- 
tians were  skilled  workers  in  the  precious 
metals.  The  mines  of  Nubia  afforded  gold, 
and  were  carried  on  by  the  government;  and 
the  laborers  were  either  convicts  or  prisoners 
taken  in  war.  Their  fate  was  indeed  a hard 
one.  Bound  in  fetters,  men  and  women  alike, 
they  were  driven  on  by  taskmasters  speaking  a 
foreign  tongue,  without  regard  to  their  suffer, 
ings  till  death  brought  a merciful  relief. 


RELIGION  Ol'  THE  EGYPTIANS 


Modern  8Uve-^oet  on  the  NiJe 


CHAPTER  III. 


DQaOj^^  K,.v 


R I GIN  ALLY  the 

j,yptian  rv,vcr- 


enced  one  God  only 
whose  likeness  was 
never  represented 
*•  he  being  wo 
shipped  in  silence.” 
His  characteristics, 
however,  were  rep- 
resented by  visible 
rgyptian  nigh  Priest  offering  flowers,  shapes.  lo  make 

this  pi. liner, — when  they  thought  of  God 
as  exercising  his  pow'er  in  different  ways, 
they  represented  him  by  figures,  to  each  of 
which  they  gave  a distinguishing  name 


5* 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


Thus  if  they  thought  of  him  as  a creator,  he 
was  called  Pthah,  and  his  figure  was  always 
accompanied  by  a smaller  figure  of  Truth  ; as 
the  principle  of  generation,  or  the  life-giver, 
he  was  called  Khem,  and  so  on  ; in  short,  they 
expressed  in  pictures  each  of  the  various  at- 
tributes of  the  Deity  which  we  distinguish  by 
such  words  as  The  Almighty,  The  Everlast- 
ing. Now  while  the  educated  could  under- 
stand this,  and  regard  these  as  emblems 
of  the  one  All-father,  the  lower  classes  soon 
came  to  regard  them  as  separate  gods,  and  to 
pay  divine  honors  to  a host  of  deities,  whose 
origin  was  lost  in  a mass  of  tradition  and 
fable.  Not  only  this,  but  if  they  perceived  in 
any  animal  qualities  which  were  associated 
with  any  of  these  deities,  they  considered  the 
animal  sacred,  and  so  we  have  the  curious 
spectacle  of  a nation  paying  reverence  to  the 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


5.1 


bull,  and  holding  in  sacred  estimation  cats 
and  beetles.  To  such  an  extent  was  this  the 
case,  that  the  Greeks  declared  that  it  was 
easier,  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  to  find  a god 
than  a man. 

These  many  gods  were  not  held  in  equal 
estimation  ; a deity  who  was  the  chief  object 
of  worship  in  one  part  of  the  country,  was 
totally  ignored  in  another.  Thus  Pthah  was 
reverenced  in  Memphis,  Amun  Ra,  the  sun. 
god,  in  Heliopolis,  Pasht,  the  goddess  of  chas 
tity,  at  Bubastis.  This  was  true,  too,  of  ani 
mals,  those  held  sacred  in  one  section  being 
considered  worthy  of  no  regard,  or  even  as 
symbols  of  evil,  in  another. 

There  were,  however,  two  exceptions  to 
what  we  have  just  said.  Osiris  and  Isis  were 
worshipped  in  every  part  of  Egypt  alike,  and 
everywhere  honored  as  the  greatest  of  the 


54 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


gods.  The  island  of  Philae,  in  the  Nile,  was 
especially  consecrated  to  them,  and  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people,  was  the  most  sacred  spot 
in  the  world.  They  looked  upon  it  as  the 
Mohammedan  looks  upon  Mecca,  or  as  the 
Christian  upon  the  scenes  amid  which  our 
Lord  lived  and  moved ; and  the  Egyptian 
could  give  no  more  solemn  oath  than  “ by 
him — unnamed  and  unnameable — who  sleeps 
in  Philae.”  They  believed  that  no  bird  dared 
fly  over  so  holy  a spot,  and  here  they  erected 
a most  magnificent  temple  to  their  god.  The 
destroying  fury  of  the  Persian  conqueror  has 
left  but  a portion  standing  of  this  beautiful 
shrine.  Here  we  have  traced  upon  the  walls 
in  the  many  chapels — for  the  building  was 
of  immense  size — the  mythological  history 
of  Osiris.  He  was  believed  to  be  the  son 
of  Nn  and  Seb,  the  brother  and  husband 


LooUiug  South  from  Temple  roof  at  Phil* 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


5; 


of  Isis,  his  queen,  and  was  put  to  death  by 
Typhon,  but  in  the  spirit  world  he  was  re- 
stored to  life,  and  made  the  judge  of  the 
dead.  This,  however,  was  but  the  myth  of  a 
later  day ; in  the  earlier  and  purer  worship 
of  the  Egyptians,  he  personified  the  divine 
goodness.  It  was  believed  that  he  came  on 
earth  to  bless  mankind,  but  that  he  was  van- 
quished and  put  to  death  by  the  power  of 
evil.  He  rose  from  the  dead  to  become  the 
judge  of  all  mankind.  On  the  next  page  is 
a picture  showing  how  the  Egyptians  kept 
before  the  people  the  idea  of  the  world  to 
come  and  the  day  of  judgment. 

Osiris  sits  upon  his  throne,  with  a flail  to 
punish  or  staff  to  guide,  as  tht  soul  before  him 
is  accepted  or  found  wanting.  The  sacred 
lotus  flower  is  on  the  altar.  The  terrible  dog 
—the  Cerberus  of  the  Greeks — the  guardian 


58 


A.NC1ENT  EGYPT. 


of  the  gates,  waits  his  decision.  Thoth,  god 
of  letters,  stands  with 
ready  pen  to  record  the 
decision.  The  dog- 
headed Anubis  places 
a vase  representing 
good  actions,  or  the 
heart  of  the  deceased 
in  one  scale,  and  the 
figure  of  truth  in  the 
other.  Horus  assist® 
in  the  weighing.  The 
spirit  holds  up  praying 
hands,  waiting  between 
two  figures  of  truth, 
the  sentence  that  shall 
assign  to  it  endless 
happiness,  or  consign 
t to  endless  woe. 


Remain?*  of T’-Mno'e  ar  R’lil- 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


6i 


Close  by  this  temple  of  Osiris  at  Hiilae 
was  a small  one,  dedicated  to  his  queen  and 
sister,  Isis. 

If  we  may  believe  the  accounts  of  rr.odern 
travellers,  the  Egyptians,  in  selecting  the  island 
of  Philae  as  the  home  for  their  gods,  ch^^se  a 
spot  of  wonderful  beauty.  A late  w.iter 
speaks  of  it  as  “ the  most  strangely  wild  and 
beautiful  spot  he  ever  beheld.  For  all  ar  jund 
the  traveller  tower  up  vast  masses  of  gl  ,omy 
rocks,  piled  one  upon  the  other  in  w.'ldest 
confusion; — some  of  them  as  it  weie  skele- 
tons of  pyramids  ; others  requiring  only  a few 
strokes  of  giant  labor  to  form  ctdossal  statues 
that  might  have  startled  the  Anakim.  Here 
spreads  a deep  drift  of  silvery  sand,  fringed 
by  rich  verdure  and  purple  blossoms;  there,  a 
grove  of  palms,  intermingled  with  the  flower- 
ing acacia  ; and  there,  through  vistas  of  craggy 


t>2 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


cliffs  and  gloomy  foliage,  gleams  a calm  blue 
lake,  with  the  sacred  island  in  the  midst, 
green  to  the  water’s  edge,  except  where  the 
walls  of  the  old  temple  city  are  reflected.” 

In  Memphis,  too,  tlie  worship  of  Osiris 
was  carried  on  with  great  pomp,  but  here  he 
was  reverenced  in  the  form  of  a living  bull. 
Apis.  It  was  claimed  that  this  bull  was  di- 
vinely born,  its  mother  being  a cow'  of  won- 
derful beauty,  selected  by  the  gods  for  this 
high  office,  and  many  were  the  honors  be- 
stowed upon  it.  It  was  kept  in  a temple 
built  for  it,  its  food  was  selected  with  the 
greatest  care,  it  was  forbidden  to  drink  the 
water  of  the  Nile,  since  this  was  supposed  to 
have  a peculiarly  fattening  quality,  and  the 
Egyptians  believed  that  “ the  body  should  sit 
light  upon  the  soul,”  and  in  every  way  its 
comfort  was  provided  for.  The  limit  of  its 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


63 


life  was  twenty-five  years.  If  it  died  beftire 
this,  its  body  was  embalmed  and,  placed  in  a 
huge  sarcophagus,  was  laid  away  in  tombs 
with  those  of  its  predecessors.  If  the  bull 
lived  to  be  twenty-five,  it  was  then  secretly 
killed. 


When  the  Apis  was  dead,  the  people  gave 
way  to  great  lamentations.  Priests,  selected 
for  the  purpose,  immediately  set  out  to  find 
a new  one,  which  was  to  be  made  known  by 
certain  distinctive  marks  on  his  body.  When 
found  he  was  fed  for  forty  days  in  a house 


* I *CVl\ 

Name  of  Apis  in  sacred 
writing. 


Bronze  figure  etc. 


64 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


facing  the  rising  sun,  and  allowed  to  be  seen 
only  by  women.  At  the  expiration  of  this 
time  he  was  placed  in  a golden  boat,  and 
carried  on  the  Nile  to  Memphis.  When  the 
report  was  spread  that  a new  Apis  was  found, 
the  people  ceased  their  lamentations,  and 
indulged  in  every  expression  of  joy.  It  is 
said  that  Carubyses,  the  Persian  conqueror  of 
Egypt,  on  one  occasion  returning  to  Memphis 
after  an  unsuccessful  battle,  found  the  people 
rejoicing  over  the  discovery  of  a new  Apis. 
In  his  anger  at  defeat,  he  chose  to  believe 
that  their  rejoicing  was  at  his  misfortune, 
and  summoned  the  priests  before  him,  with 
the  sacred  bull.  Rushing  upon  the  bull,  he 
wounded  him  with  his  sword,  exclaiming 
that  he  would  see  if  a tame  god  had  come  to 
earth.  The  superstitious  people  believed  that 
all  the  subsequent  misfortunes  of  this  prince 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


6S 

were  in  punishment  for  this  sacrilegious  act, 
On  festal  days  the  bull  was  led  at  the  head 
of  processions,  surrounded  by  a band  of 
priests  to  keep  back  the  people  who  came 
forth  from  their  houses  to  greet  it,  and  strew 
flowers  in  its  way,  while  children  who  breathed 
its  breath  were  thought  to  have  the  power 
of  foretelling  the  future. 

The  service  of  all  these  many  gods,  and 
the  care  of  the  temples  erected  in  their 
honor,  required  a vast  number  of  priests. 
To  the  higher  classr  ; in  Egypt  there  seem  to 
have  been  but  two  paths  open — the  army 
and  the  priesthood.  The  king  was.  at  the 
same  time,  the  head  of  the  civil  government 
and  the  chief  high  priest  ; but  the  sons  of  the 
nobility  could  choose  only  one  or  the  other 
of  these  two  occupations. 

The  priests  enjoyed  many  privileged 


66 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


Their  property  was  not  subject  to  taxes 
Their  expenses  were  paid  by  the  state.  And, 
though  they  undoubtedly  erred  in  not  direct- 
ing aright  the  worship  of  the  people — allow- 
ing them  to  reverence  animals  rather  than  the 
God  of  whom  they  were  but  symbols — they 
yet  showed  in  their  lives  decided  examples 
of  self-restraint  and  self-control.  In  the  care 
of  their  persons  they  were  most  exact.  They 
bathed  four  times  a day,  and  every  second 
day  shaved  from  head  to  foot.  Their  food 
was  of  the  simplest,  and  they  never  allowed 
themselves  indulgence  in  the  pleasures  of 
the  table,  for  they  never  lost  sight  of  their 
great  principle,  that  the  body  should  sit 
light  upon  the  soul.  Nor  did  they  believe 
that  any  sanctity  was  connected  with  celibacy. 
They  married,  and  had  their  families  about 
them. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


67 


The  Egyptian  believed  implicitly  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  body,  even  going  so  far  as 
to  place  with  it  at  burial,  seeds  of  grain  and 
farming  tools,  in  order  that  the  returning 
spirit  might  have  the  necessary  aids  in  again 
beginning  life.  Their  resurrection  was  not 
that  of  the  Christian,  who  believes  that  the 
natural  body  shall  rise  a spiritual  body.  They 
believed  that  the  spirit  must  return  to  the 
body  which  it  occupied  in  life,  and  should  that 
body  be  destroyed,  no  future  life  could  be  en- 
joyed. In  the  next  picture  the  god  Anubis  is 
removing  the  cloths  from  the  man  long  dead, 
while  the  soul,  represented  as  a winged  spirit, 
is  about  to  return,  entering  through  the 
mouth. 

In  consequence  of  this  belief,  every  care 
was  taken  so  to  prepare  the  body  that  it 
might  be  uninjured  through  the  ages  that 


68 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


must  elapse  before  the  spirit  should  return  to 
its  former  home.  The  Egyptian  hoarded  anrj 
toiled  through  life  that  his  final  resting  place 
might  be  one  that  should  defy  decay. 


As  soon  as  a death  occurred,  the  females 
of  the  household,  their  heads  and  faces  cov- 
ered with  mud,  rushed  wildly,  with  naked 
breasts,  through  the  streets,  striking  them-  | 
selves  and  moaning  aloud. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


69 


Friends  and  relatives  joined  them,  and  if 
the  dead  man  were  a person  of  position,  stran- 
gers  followed  to  show  their  respect.  Hired 
mourners,  too,  added  to  the  lamentations. 


The  body  was  at  once  embalmed  with  the 
greatest  caie,  this  being  exclusively  the  work 
of  the  priests;  and,  wrapped  in  many  folds  of 
linen  cloth,  was  made  ready  for  its  long  sleep. 

The  process  of  embalming  took  seventy' 
days,  and  was  one  on  which  the  greatest  care 
was  exercised.  Several  different  methods  are 


8 


70 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


known  to  have  been  in  use,  varying  in  expense 
according  to  the  means  employed.  Often 
the  intestines  were  removed,  and  the  empty 
space  was  filled  with  bitumen  or  some  simi- 
lar substance,  while  the  intestines  them 
selves  were  deposited  in  four  vases,  which 


Kuiir  E^\  pliaii  .lai>  coutaining  the  perishable  parts  of  the  Mummy. 


were  placed  in  the  tomb  containing  the  sar- 
cophagus. 

These  vases,  as  here  shown,  each  termi- 
f.ated  in  a head,  and  were  of  a peculiar  char- 
acter, and  to  each  a particular  part  of  the 
perishable  part  of  the  mummy  was  always 
assigned.  Burial  did  not  always  at  once  fob 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


7> 


low  embalming ; for  sometimes  the  mummy, 
after  being  deiiv'ered  to  its  friends,  was  kept  in 
the  house  by  them  for  months,  where,  placed 
in  a richly  painted  case,  it  was  set  upright 
against  the  wall.  When  the  appointed  day 
for  the  funeral  had  come,  and  the  procession 
had  reached  the  place  of  sepulture,  a singular 
custom  was  observed.  Judges  being  pro- 
vided, it  was  open  to  any  one  to  bring  charges 
against  the  dead.  Should  these  charges 
not  be  approved,  a severe  punishment  was 
afflicted  on  the  false  accuser,  but  should  it  be 
shown  that  the  dead  man  had  led  an  evi'  Ufe, 
burial  was  refused,  and  the  mummy  was 
returned  to  its  friends.  Great  w'as  the  grief 
and  shame  among  the  relatives,  for  this  was 
the  greatest  dishonor  that  could  befall  them. 

In  such  a case  as  this,  the  mummy  was 
generally  kept  in  the  house,  a closet  being 


ia 


ANI  IENT  EGYPT. 


constructed  for  this  purpose.  In  such  ^vay  too, 
were  kept  the  mummies  of  those  that  had 
died  in  debt,  until  their  children  had  released 
them  by  the  pa)ment  of  their  creditors. 
“ It  was  indeed,”  says  an  old  historian, 
“ most  solemnly  established  in  Egypt,  that 
parents  and  ancestors  should  have  a more 


marked  token  of  respect  paid  them  by  theif 
family  after  they  had  been  transferred  to 
their  everlasting  habitations.  Hence  origina- 
ted the  custom  of  depositing  the  bodies  of 
their  deceased  parents  as  pledges  for  the  pay- 
ment of  borrowed  money:  those  who  failed 
to  redeem  these  pledges  being  subject  to  the 


Anricnt  roc’r-cnt  Tomb. 


ANCIKNT  EGYPT. 


75 


heaviest  disgrace,  and  deprived  of  burial  after 
their  own  death.  ” 

The  various  districts  of  Egypt  differed 
somewhat  in  their  modes  of  burial.  Oppo- 
site Thebes,  where  the  line  of  hills  comes 
down  near  the  river,  the  limestone  rock  was 
carved  out  into  tombs. 

Thousands  of  them  cover  the  hill-sides — 
vast  chambers  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock.  Stern 
and  forbidding  without,  the  massive  overhang- 
ing porticos  casting  deep  shadows  in  the  bright 
glare  of  a tropic  sun,  and  dusky  and  dark  with- 
in, lighted  only  by  a stray  sunbeam  that  might 
fall  through  the  open  door  or  by  the  traveller’s 
torch.  They  are  all  empty  now,  for  the 
mummies,  with  which  time  dealt  so  leniently, 
found  no  mercy  at  the  hands  of  men.  The 
coffins  were  rudely  broken  open  in  search  of 
the  gold  ornaments  which  were  often  buried 


^6 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


with  the  dead,  and  even  the  linen  cloths  in 
wdiich  the  bodies  were  wrapped  were  taken 
off  and  sold  for  rags. 

The  interior  of  these  rock-cut  tombs  w'as 
often  ornamented  in  the  most  minute  way — • 
not  only  with  hieroglyphics,  but  with  colored 
drawings  which  still  remain.  They  repre- 
sented often,  scenes  in  the  life  of  the  departed 
hero.  In  one  place  he  is  putting  to  flight  liis 
enemies,  while  in  another,  as  a victor  he  is 
receiving  captives  who  bend  before  him  in 
supplication.  On  one  of  the  oldest  of  these 
tombs  is  inscribed  a funeral  procession  by 
water,  where  the  mummy  of  the  dead  man  is 
lying  in  a boat,  which  is  followed  by  other 
boats  full  of  mourning  friends  and  kinsmen, 
while  other  friends  are  throwing  dust  upon 
their  heads  in  token  of  grief. 

When  the  hills  were  far  distant  from  the 


Interior  of  rock-cut  Tomb. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


79 


nver,  as  at  Memphis,  some  different  places  of 
burial  must  be  provided.  Tombs  Avere  built 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground,  often  of 
great  extent,  with  large  and  massive  cham- 
bers ornamented  with  hieroglyphics  and  draw- 
ings such  as  we  have  described.  Besides 
these  roomy  chambers,  pits  were  dug  at  inter- 
vals twenty  or  even  seventy  feet  in  depth,  and 
around  the  sides  were  shelves  of  stone  on 
which  mummies  were  placed.  The  openings 
to  these  were  closed  with  masonry  which  was 
removed  when  new  bodies  were  to  be  intro- 
duced. 

Of  course  the  lowest  class  could  afford  no 
such  costly  burial  as  those  we  have  described 
their  bodies  washed  only  With  some  vegeta 
ble  preparation,  after  lying  in  a strong  alkal 
for  seventy  days,  were  wrapped  in  cloths,  and 
laid  away  in  pits  in  the  plain. 


8o 


ANCIENT  EC  ^PT. 


In  contrast  with  this  humble  burial  stands 
out  the  magnificence  of  the  royal  sepulchres. 
The  mighty  pyramids  are  each  the  tomb  of  a 
single  king.  Their  name  pyramid  comes 
from  the  union  of  two  words  pi~rama,  the 
mountain,  and  though  this  may  seem  a some- 
\"hat  high-sounding  name  for  them,  they  are 
the  largest  buildings  in  the  world.  There 
are  in  Eg>'pt  some  seventy  pyramids,  the  ma- 
j irity  of  which  are  in  the  neighborhood  of 
demphis.  Of  these  two  are  especially  worthy 
of  note. 

The  older  of  them  is  supposed  to  have 
been  built  by  Cheops,  who  reigned  over  2cxx: 
years  before  Christ.  The  second  is  the  work 
of  Chcfren,  and  is  of  a later  date,  and  owing 
to  its  standing  on  higher  ground,  appears  to 
be  of  larger  size  than  that  of  Cheops,  though 
it  is  in  reality  not  so  high.  The  base  of  each 


ANCJENT  EGYPT. 


83 


covers  eleven  acres  of  ground,  while  theii 
height  is  nearly  five  hundred  feet.  Herodo- 
tus, the  Greek  historian,  tells  us  that  they 
were  twenty  years  in  building,  and  that  one 
hundred  thousand  men,  relieved  every  three 
months,  were  always  at  work  upon  them  dur- 
ing that  time.  At  his  day  there  was  still  leg- 
ible upon  one  of  them  an  inscription  to  the 
effect  that  si.xteen  hundred  talents  of  silver 
wore  spent  upon  the  radishes,  onions,  and 
garlic  for  the  workmen. 

As  we  think  of  their  enormous  size,  the 
patience  and  skill  that  created  them  seems 
almost  incredible.  Fiist,  the  huge  blocks 
must  be  hewn  out  in  the  distant  quarry,  and 
iloated  clown  the  riv'cr.  Then,  as  the  p\  ra- 
mids  stood  back  at  a distance  from  its  banks 
they  must  be  conveyed  to  them,  and  raised 
to  their  proper  place.  It  is  supposed  that 


84 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


they  were  so  moved  by  an  inclined  plane, 
which  was  raised  as  the  work  proceeded,  and 
up  which  the  heavy  blocks  were  carried,  and 
laid  in  their  proper  place.  This  inclined 
plain,  or  causeway,  was  still  standing  when 
Herodotus  visited  Egypt,  and  he  speaks  of 
its  great  proportions  with  admiration,  con- 
sidering it  as  in  no  respect  inferior  to  the 
pyramids. 

A narrow  and  intricate  passage  through 
this  enormous  mass  of  masonry  led  to  a 
chamber  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of 
the  whole,  where  the  mummy  of  the  king 
was  deposited.  This  chamber  was  ventilated 
by  two  very  small  passages  or  chimneys, 
which  led  upward,  opening  in  the  sides  of 
the  pyramid  near  its  summit,  and  was  orna- 
mented in  the  most  extravagant  manner. 
After  burial,  the  entrances  were  closed  in  the 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


S-i 

most  careful  way,  so  as  to  hide  all  evidence  of 
their  existence,  and  here  the  king  hoped  that 
his  body  would  remain  undisturbed  till  the 
spirit  should  come  again  to  inhabit  it.  Vain 
hope  ! Not  one  of  these  tombs  exists  that 
has  not  been  broken  into.  The  cupidity  of 
the  Arabs  and  the  curiosity  of  travellers  have 
undone  that  result  for  which  the  hundred 
thousand  workmen  labored  for  so  many  years, 
and  the  bones  of  the  kings  arc  scattered  far 
and  wide. 


L ' 


MONUMENTS  OF  FGYF7 


CHAPTER  IV. 


^'lOSE  be. 

;ide  the 
pyramids  of 
w h i c h we 
have  been 
s p c k i n g, 
stands  the 
S p h i n X. 
Carved  out 
of  the  solid 
rock,  its  giant 
pro  portions 
rise  high  above  the  plain  of  shifting  sand  in 
which  it  is  half-buried  It  bears  the  head  of 
a man  upon  the  body  of  a lion,  and  perhaps 


90 


ANCIENT  ECVTT. 


alone  among  the  monuments  of  Egypt,  is  sue 
cessful  in  concealing  the  secret  of  its  creation. 
The  Arabs  call  it  Aboolhol,  the  father  of  ter- 
lor  or  immensity.  Its  height  from  the  belly 
to  the  head  is  fifty-six  feet,  while  the  circum- 
ference of  the  brows  alone  is  over  a hundred 
feet.  Between  its  fore-paws  is  a chapel  now 
buried  in  the  sand.  In  this  lias  been  discov- 
ered a tablet,  telling  of  repairs  done  to  the 
statue  by  Suphis,  the  builder  of  the  great 
pyramid. 

This  monarch  lived  more  than  two  thou- 
sand years  before  Christ,  and  if  the  statue  was 
then  so  old  as  to  need  repair,  how  far  back 
must  have  been  the  date  of  its  creation.  A 
late  traveller,  in  describing  the  Sphinx,  has 
well  said,  “ In  one  regard,  this  stone  idol 
bears  awful  semblance  of  Deity — unchange 
fulness  in  the  midst  of  change — the  same 


1 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


93 


seeming  will  and  intent,  tor  ever  and  ever  in- 
exorable ! Upon  ancient  dynasties  of  Ethi- 
opian and  Egyptian  kings  ; upon  Greek  and 
Roman,  upon  Arab  and  Ottoman  conquerors  ; 
upon  Napoleon  dreaming  of  an  Eastern 
empire ; upon  battle  and  pestilence,  upon 
keen-eyed  travellers  ; — upon  all,  and  more,  this 
unworldly  Sphinx  has  watched,  and  watched 
like  a providence,  with  the  same  earnest  eyes 
and  the  same  sad,  tranquil  mien.  And  we, 
we  shall  die,  and  Islam  wither  away,  and  still 
that  sleepless  rock  will  lie  watching  and  watch- 
ing the  works  of  the  new  busy  race,  with  those 
same  sad,  earnest  eyes,  and  the  same  tranquil 
mien  everlasting.” 

A short  distance  only  from  the  pyramids, 
near  the  river  bank,  we  come  to  the  site  of 
the  ancient  and  mighty  city  o^  Memphis,  now 


94 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


marked  only  by  a few  fragments  of  stone  and 
mummy  pits. 

Ascending  ihe  river  from  Memphis,  we 
come,  after  a long  journey,  to  the  ruins  of 
Thebes,  the  mightiest  city  of  ancient  Egypt. 
“Art  thou  mightier,"  cries  Nahum  the 
prophet,  when  denouncing  Nineveh,  “than 
populous  No,  that  was  situate  among  the 
rivers  that  had  the  waters  round  about  it. 
Egypt  and  Ethiopia  were  her  strength,  and 
it  was  infinite.’’ 

When  we  think  of  it  as  it  was,  the  great- 
est city  of  the  earth  for  more  than  a thousand 
years,  and  picture  it  in  its  grandeur,  with  its 
hundreds  of  temples  and  monuments,  and  all 
the  busy  life  of  its  inhabitant.'^,  and  when  now 
we  see  the  plain  on  which  it  stood,  scattered 
over  with  the  remains  of  all  this  magnificence 
we  think  again  of  the  fiery  words  of  Ezekiel  the 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


97 


prophet.  “ Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I will  set 
fire  in  Egypt.  No  shall  be  rent  asunder." 

The  plain  on  which  the  city  was  built  was 
one  especially  suited,  as  well  by  its  beauty 
as  its  convenience,  for  the  site  of  a great 
city.  The  hills  which  elsewhere  lie  close  to 
tlie  river,  here  fall  back  on  either  side,  leaving 
a large  circular  plain. 

The  wealth  of  all  Egypt  was  brought  to 
its  door  on  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Nile, 
while  it  was,  too,  on  the  highway  of  the 
trade  that  was  carried  on  with  the  ports  on 
the  Red  sea. 

Always  a large  populous  city,  its  magnifi- 
cence perhaps  began  under  Amosis,  who 
drove  out  of  Egypt  the  Shepherd  kings,  a 
race  of  foreign  tyrants  who  had  held  sway 
over  the  country  and  brought  all  Egypt  under 
his  rule.  He  was  succeeded  by  a line  of  klhgs. 


5 


ANCIENT  EGYPT 


each  of  whom  brought  fame  and  wealth  to 
their  capital,  and  who  showed  their  piety  in 
building  massive  temples  to  the  gods. 
Finally,  Thebes  reached  its  greatest  glory, 
under  Rameses  II.,  the  great  hero  and  the  type 
of  all  that  was  noblest  to  the  Egyptian.  Ther 
came  the  period  of  her  downfall.  The  cities 
of  Lower  Egypt  gained  power,  and  later  on  an 
Eihiopian  king  conquered  and  ruled  over  the 
ciiy.  Then  came  the  invasion  by  the  Per 
si. ms,  with  their  hatred  of  everything  Egyp- 
tian, and  the  mighty  temples  were  ruined  and 
thrown  down  by  conquerors,  who  lost  no  op- 
portunity to  show  the  people  that  they  were 
conquered,  and  wdio  wished  to  destroy  all 
evidence  of  the  glorious  deeds  of  their  fore- 
fathers. Fortunately,  they  could  not  do  this 
entirely,  and  so  the  mins  of  Thebes  to-daj 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


99 


though  only  ruins,  are  the  wonder  and  admi- 
ration of  every  one  that  sees  them. 

The  site  of  the  city  is  now  marked  by 
four  villages,  Luxor  and  Karnak  on  the  east- 
ern bank  of  the  Nile,  and  Gurneh  and  Medi- 
neh  Aboo  on  the  western.  At  each  of  these 
places  are  ruins  of  great  temples,  and  it  seems 
as  if  each  had  been  the  chief  point  of  its  own 
district.  Formerly  the  Nile  did  not,  as  now, 
flow  through  the  centre  of  the  city,  but  far  to 
the  eastward,  leaving  the  plain,  on  which  it 
was  built,  undivided.  It  is  only  within  a few 
hundred  years  that  it  has  forced  for  itself 
the  channel  it  now  uses,  where  it  bids  fair  in 
a short  time  to  work  more  destruc  tion  than 
centuries  of  neglect. 

The  Egyptian  temples  were  built  in  a style 
of  magnificence  which  any  illustration  can 
but  poorly  represent  They  were  often  ap 


loo 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


preached  through  a long  avenue  of  sphinxes, 
called  a dromos,  of  which  but  the  broken 
fragments  now  remain.  These  led  to  a huge 
propylon,  or  gateway,  behind  which  was  an 
unroofed  court,  after  traversing  which  the 
temple  itself  was  reached.  The  massive  pil- 


lars bore  carvings  representing  the  sacred 
lotus  flower,  or  the  graceful  papyrus,  and  on 
every  side  were  sculptures  representing  the 
hero  who  had  built  the  temple,  or  the  god  in 
i^hose  honor  the  temple  was  erected.  In  one 
place  the  god  is  shown  delivering  into  the 


Ruined  Avenue  of  Sphinxes. 


■w 

^ . 


tt 


■3 

' 0 

■ 


• t- 


• >."«■- 


r4 


’ : 4^ 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


*03 


hands  of  his  favorite  the  opposing  army, 
M’hile  in  another,  the  king 
is  in  battle,  his  enemies 
eveiyw'liere  flying  before 
him 

The  accompanying  cut, 
which  is  of  a temple  half 
buried  by  the  sand,  gives 
a good  idea  of  the  form 
which  was  generally  chosen 
by  the  Egyptians  in  build- 
ing their  temples.  On  the 
riglit  hand  is  the  propy- 
lon : just  left  of  it  is  the 
court,  while  still  further  to 
the  left  is  the  temple  itself, 
or  sanctuary. 

A very  noticeable  feat- 
ure of  Egyptian  architecture  is  the  high  statuci 


104 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


which  form  part  of  their  temples.  Sometimes 
llie  column  that  upholds  a massive  wall  is 
carved  into  the  form  of  a man,  bearing  the 
whole  upon  his  head  ;• — at  other  times,  huge 
stone  sentinels  stand  at  the  entrance  keeping 
a never  ending  silent  watch.  Two  such  senti- 
nels stand  in  front  of  the  propylon  of  a ruined 
temple  at  Lu.xor.  Their  heads  are  surmounted 
ith  massive  helmets,  and  though  the  figures 
arc  now  buried  in  the  sand  up  to  their  armpits, 
an  idea  of  their  great  size  may  be  gained, 
wlien  it  is  said  that  the  part  still  uncovered  is 
over  twenty  feet  in  height. 

But  by  far  the  most  striking  of  these  giant 
figures  are  the  two  Colossi,  called  by  the 
Arabs  Tama  and  Chama.  They  were  erected 
by  Amunopth  III.,  who  reigned  about  1300 
B.  C.,and  were  originally  two  out  of  eighteen 
such  figures  that  formed  the  approach  to  a 


rtaniessM.-!  at  Luxor 


ANCItNT  EGYPT. 


107 


temple.  Their  sixteen  brothers,  however,  have 
disappeared,  and  they  now  stand  alone.  They 
are  indeed  giant  in  height,  reaching  sixty  feet 
above  the  plain.  From  the  elbow  to  the  ends 
of  the  fingers,  each  arm  is  seventeen  feet  ten 
inches  in  length,  while  each  sturdy  foot  meas- 
ures ten  feet. 

One  of  these  is  the  far-famed  Memnon  of 
the  Greeks,  and  from  it,  it  was  fabled,  a strain 
of  music  came  when  the  first  beams  of  the 
rising  sun  fell  upon  it.  The  cause  of  this 
music  is  unknown.  Probably  it  was  the  work 
of  the  priests,  who  would  lose  no  opportunity 
to  impose  upon  the  credulity  of  the  ignorant, 
or  it  may  be  that  it  was  owing,  as  has  been 
suggested  of  late,  to  the  expansion  of  parti 
cles  of  water  in  the  stone  under  the  warmth 
of  the  sun’s  rays.  The  Persians  did  not  spare 
these  any  more  than  the  other  examples  of 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


108 

Egyptian  greatness,  and  it  is  only  from  tlie 
mutilated  remains  that  we  can  judge  how 
stately  m.ust  have  been  the  jDcrfect  originals. 

We  have  a very  vivid  picture  on  an  old 
wall,  of  a colossus  in  process  of  transportation. 
The  huge  figure  is  firmly  bound  upon  a sledge 
with  ropes,  and  is  drawn  by  four  long  lines  of 
laborers,  each  line  being  made  up  of  forty- 
three  men.  One  man  stands  upon  the  knees 
of  the  statue,  apparently  giving  out  some 
song,  or  beating  time,  that  all  may  pull  to- 
gether. On  the  sledge  stands  another  man 
pouring  from  a vase  some  substance,  evidently 
grease,  in  order  to  assist  locomotion  ; while 
bands  of  laborers  follow  with  tools  and  a body 
of  soldiers  march  by  the  side. 

During  the  inundation,  the  water  com- 
pletely surrounds  the  Colossi,  which  then  rise 
like  two  great  islands  of  stone  above  the  flood. 


( 


%!i 


} 


I* 


- -4 


ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


Ill 


Indeed,  thd'r  bases  are  now  already  coveied, 
seven  feet  in  depth,  with  the  mud  which 
successive  overflows  of  the  river  have  deposi- 
ted. It  is  well  known  that  the  bed  of  the 
river  is  slowly  rising,  since  within  the  positive 
knowledge  of  history,  the  floods  extend  to 
points  far  beyond  their  former  reach,  and  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  when  these  statues 
were  erected,  the  ground  on  which  they  stood 
was  never  reached  by  the  yearly  overflow,  and 
that  it  is  only  during  comparatively  late  cen- 
turies, that  the  waters  have  extended  to  theit 
present  limit. 

Crossing  the  river  from  Luxor,,  we  find  on 
the  opposite  side  at  a short  distance  from  its 
bank,  the  ruins  of  wdiat  w'as  one  of  the  grand- 
est of  all  the  Egyptian  temples.  Diodorus, 
the  Greek  historian,  describes  it,  calling  it 
the  tomb  of  Osymandyas.  “ At  its  entrance  ' 


T1  3 


A NX  I ENT  EGYPT. 


says  he,  “ rose  a propylon  of  marble.  Afte? 
liaving  passed  it,  one  entered  a square  court, 
whose  roof  was  not  sustained  by  columns  but 
by  animals  carved  in  solid  blocks  of  stone 
The  entire  ceiling,  consisting  ot  a single  .stone, 
was  studded  with  golden  stars  upon  a field  of 
azure.  At  the  further  end  of  this  court  was 
a second  propylon,  like  the  former  but  adorned 
with  variegated  carvings  of  perfect  workman- 
ship. Beside  this  second  portico  were  three 
statues,  each  chiselled  from  a single  block  of 
the  hard  and  tinted  stones  of  Syene.  One, 
representing  a personage  in  a sitting  posture, 
was  the  largest  of  all  the  statues  in  Egypt, 
d'iiis  piece  was  not  only  remarkable  for  its  di- 
mensions, but  ii  was  worthy  of  admiration  in 
regard  to  its  artistic  execution  and  the  nature 
of  tlie  stone  which,  notwithstanding  its  vast- 
ncss;  did  not  reveal  a single  crack  or  blemish. 


Uiiiiis  of  Temple  of  KameseB. 


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ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


«*s 

Upon  it  could  be  read  the  following  inscrip- 
tion, ‘ I am  Osymandyas,  king  of  the  kings ; 
if  any  one  should  wish  to  know  who  I am,  and 
where  I repose,  let  him  surpass  one  of  my 
works.’  The  two  other  statues  placed  near 
his  knees,  one  upon  the  right  hand  and  the 
other  upon  the  left,  were  those  of  the  mother 
and  daughter,  and  did  not  approach  the  first 
in  size. 

“ Upon  a wall  near  at  hand,  the  king  was 
represented  besieging  a fortress  surrounded 
by  a river,  exposing  himself  to  the  blows  of  his 
enemies,  and  accompanied  by  a terrible  lion, 
which  served  him  as  an  auxiliary  in  htr  com- 
bats. Among  those  who  explain  these  varv 
ings,  some  say  that  it  was  a teal  lion,  tamed, 
fed  by  the  king’s  own  hands,  and  taught  to 
accompany  him  while  attacking  anii  pursuing 
his  enemies  ; while  others  maintain  that  this 


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ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


king,  who  was  distinguished  above  all  the  rest 
for  his  valor  and  strength,  intended  to  sound 
his  own  praises  by  symbolizing  his  qualities  in 
the  figure  of  a lion.” 

One  large  apartment  was  doubtless  the 
library,  for  above  its  doorway  was  inscribed, 
“ Books  are  the  medicine  of  the  mind.” 

At  the  back  and  sides  of  the  building  are 
vaults  of  unburned  bricks,  which  were  proba- 
bly used  as  dwelling  places  for  the  priests.  A 
few  of  higher  rank  no  doubt  lived  nearer  the 
sanctuary,  and  to  these  was  assigned  the  dutj 
of  offering  sacrifices  to  attain  the  favor  of  (ht 
deities  on  behalf  of  the  nation. 

Such  was  this  temple.  It  was  erected  by 
Raineses  II.,  to  his  father  Oimenepthah,  or 
Osymandyas,  as  Diodorus  calls  him.  Not  only 
was  it  perfect  in  workmanship,  but  its  situa- 
tion was  one  of  great  beauty.  Built  just  at 


't. 


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ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


119 


the  foot  of  a range  of  hills,  its  different  parts 
were  raised  on  successive  terraces,  thus  mak 
ing  its  outward  appearance  particularly 
massive. 

The  giant  statue  is  still  there,  but  like 
everything  about  it,  in  ruins.  It  lies  prone 
on  its  face,  but  even  in  its  downfall  is  the 
wonder  of  all.  Its  huge  mass  weighs  nearly 
nine  hundred  tons,  and  modern  engineering 
skill  would,  we  fear,  be  sorely  tasked,  if  it 
were  called  upon  to  transport  such  a figure 
from  the  quarries  at  Syene,  hundreds  of  miles 
distant,  and  set  it  upright  in  its  place  in  the 
temple. 

Such  were  some  of  the  great  monuments 
of  Egypt.  The  drifting  sands  of  the  desert 
have  buried  other  temples  and  tombs  out  of 
our  sight,  and  their  memory  is  forgotten.  It 
is  as  if  nature,  having  in  vain  striven  to  destroy 


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ANCIENT  EGYPT. 


tliese  works  of  man  through  the  long  years 
that  have  elapsed  since  their  creation,  had 
given  up  the  unequal  struggle,  and  was  now 
resolved  to  bury  them  out  of  her  sight.  The 
shifting  sand  may  yet  do  what  time  has  not, 
and  the  remains  of  ancient  Egypt  may  thu« 
finally  disappear. 


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